Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Wild One on piano
By Bobby Rydell
- C major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- V–I–V–I loop
- 1963
- Medium
Learn Wild One in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – C – G – C
Wild One sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GVCIGVCI- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Bossa seesaw
Low-low, high-high in a laid-back Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-1-5-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 428 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about Wild One
What chords are in Wild One?
The loop is G – C – G – C (V – I – V – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Wild One in?
C major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Wild One?
Bossa seesaw: root–fifth 1-1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Wild One easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.